5 Things That Never Happened to Ed Lane
by Ace Bullets
Summary: I bring you five things that never happened to Ed Lane. Hope you enjoy. Rated T, just in case, due to the 'subject matter' of one of the five stories.
1. Heroism

**A/N: Like the title suggests, here are five things that never happened to Ed Lane. I've always wanted to do something like this, and I've decided the SRU is perfect for it. **

**Five Things That Never Happened to Ed Lane**

_**Heroism**_

"So, what happens now?" Ed Lane asked Sergeant Greg Parker.

"They'll take him to Ossington for a mental assessment," Greg replied. "If they find him mentally competent, then he'll be arraigned, and most likely stand trial for various charges."

"Oh..." Ed said slowly. "I see."

"Look, I'm sure if it comes to trial there will be no need whatsoever to involve you," Greg said reassuringly.

Ed sighed heavily. "Yeah, it would be nice to be able to avoid that kind of publicity. God only knows the press will have a field day with this one."

"I'm really sorry this had to happen to you, especially in our city," Greg offered kindly.

"Sort of comes with the territory," Ed said with a wry smile, "only this is the first time I've been so close to a _real_ threat. I guess I'm just relieved no one got seriously hurt. I'm told the security guard is going to be okay."

"Yep, it's always a good day when we can resolve things peacefully," Greg said in agreement.

"Y'know," Ed said, "everyday, I have hundreds of people screaming my name, wanting to get a piece of me. I have young kids writing me and telling me I'm their hero; that they want to be just like me when they grow up... but what _you_ and your team do everyday – _you_ guys are the real heroes. Me? I'm just a guy who knows how to entertain the music-loving public. If there's anything I can do to thank you..."

"As a matter of fact," Greg said, "my son is one of those 'young kids' who thinks you're terrific. It would go a long way in restoring his faith in me if I got your autograph..."

"Hey sure!" Ed said enthusiastically. "Who should I make it out to?"

* * *

"Ed Lane," Jules Callaghan said dreamily. "I can't believe we actually responded to call involving _Ed Lane_! He's like, the hottest act around."

Sam Braddock looked at his team mate with a mixture of disbelief and amusement. "Didn't know you had a thing for bald guys, Jules," he teased.

"Hey, bald can be sexy," Jules retorted. "And those eyes... Hot!"

"Waitaminute, 'bald can be sexy'?" Sam repeated. "You're not saying you have a secret thing for the Sarge, are you?"

Jules slugged Sam in the arm. "Of course not. That would be icky. We have too much of a father-daughter 'thing' going on... though I am starting to imagine _you_ with a shaved head...hmmm..."

"I'm just glad we didn't screw up," Donna Sabine said, trying to ignore Jules and Sam's senseless chatter. "Can you imagine what it would have been like if Greg wasn't able to talk that crazy fan down?"

"No kidding," Kevin 'Wordy' Wordsworth said in agreement. "The bigger the victim is in the eyes of the public and the media, the more scrutiny _we're _under."

Spike groaned. "Tell me about it. Mama's already telling me she's taped the six o'clock, six thirty, _and_ seven o'clock news – from different networks – because the cameras caught a shot of us entering the stadium."

"I actually like Lane's music," Lewis Young spoke up. "Pretty fly for a white guy."

"I'm not really all that familiar with his stuff," Donna said. "But I guess he's got his following, otherwise that crackpot wouldn't have tried to get to him this afternoon."

"At least Lane was smart," Wordy said, "keeping himself locked in his dressing room, no matter what..."

At that moment, Greg Parker entered the de-brief room. "Sorry I'm late, guys," he said, without offering an explanation for his tardiness. "Let's get down to it, shall we?"

* * *

At the conclusion of the de-brief, Wordy and Greg remained in the room while the others took off.

"Something bothering you, Sarge?" Wordy asked.

"Hmmph," Greg breathed. "Not really. Not with the case, anyway."

"What, then?" Wordy pressed.

"I was just thinking about something Mr. Lane said to me."

"Which was?"

"He just talked about how he has all this attention and adulation of all these hero-worshipping fans. _My_ son is one of them."

"Oh," Wordy said, comprehension dawning on him. He didn't know all the minute details, but certainly knew that the relationship between Greg and his teen-aged son was a very strained one, compounded by the fact they were physically separated by a vast distance.

"I did manage to get Lane's autograph for him, though," Greg said with a ghost of a smile. "I might not be a hero in my son's eyes right now, but maybe..."

"That was nice of him," Wordy said, referring to the autograph Greg had obtained.

"Yeah, it was," Greg said. "Once you get past that celebrity mask, Eddie Lane is a pretty down-to-earth guy."

There was silence for a few beats, and Greg eventually made a move to get up.

"Greg," Wordy said, stopping his boss. "I know it's been hard for you with your son and all... but one day he's going to come 'round. One day he's going to understand how much effort you've put in to putting your life back in order. And Ed Lane? He'll just be an afterthought in the hero department."

* * *

At eight PM, the in-door stadium lights went up, and a spotlight centered on a solitary figure in the middle of the stage.

A roar went up from the sold-out crowd of fifteen thousand strong.

Ed Lane's face lit up with an electric smile and he pumped both fists in the air.

"How ya doin' Toronto?!" he yelled into the microphone.

Another roar of approval blasted forth from the gathered masses.

_Eddie! Eddie! Eddie! Eddie! Eddie! _

A chant that started off in some small corner of the arena gradually reached a crescendo until the whole place was filled with the sound.

Ed Lane reveled in it, but tonight it was tempered by the knowledge that he was really just another mere mortal. He reflected on his harrowing experience earlier with the obsessed fan who'd violently sought a face-to-face meeting with him.

_What am I really doing up here?_ he thought, as he launched into his opening number.

Ed gazed out over the faces, all eagerly fixed on him; their arms outstretched, as if they could somehow magically touch him. He was very much aware that all of them really _did_ want to touch him if they could.

_Look at them. They all think I'm some kind of god because I can play a guitar and sing a song or two better than some. But what kind of difference, really, am I making?_

When he'd heard the commotion in the outer hallway, he remembered the consuming fear he felt as he'd locked his dressing-room door. He also shoved a chair under the door-knob like he'd seen done in movies, praying it would be strong enough to hold off the crazy, armed fan.

_If all my fans could have seen what a simpering coward I was behaving like today_... _God, how many of them out there think about crossing that line and coming at me like that nut job did ? Who is it people think I am? _

_Who is Edward Lane_?

_A rock star? A coward? A victim? A hero?_

No, definitely _not_ a hero, Ed reflected, as he let the last chord of the song linger. In awe, the fans burst into enthusiastic applause, screaming and chanting his name.

_Those SRU guys, they really _are_ the real heroes_, Ed mused.

_I shoulda been a _cop, he decided. _Then I'd have been worthy of all this hero-worship..._


	2. The Scapegoat

**Five Things That Never Happened to Ed Lane**

_**The Scapegoat**_

_Ed, the boy!_

Jules Callaghan's voice echoed in Ed's mind. From her vantage point, she'd been able to see everything. He, on the other hand, had been focused on the hostage-taker alone, the man's head clearly in his sights.

So focused, in fact, that when he pulled the trigger, he hadn't been sure what Jules had meant at first.

Then as he'd lowered his rifle from his face, the awful truth became frightfully evident: a figure lay on the ground, immobile. Two more shots rang out, and a second and third body fell.

_No!_ Ed nearly choked on the horror of what he'd just witnessed.

A cry of shock erupted from the band of witnesses surrounding the scene. A couple people fainted at the sight.

_Where did he come from? _Ed kept asking himself. _Where did he come from?!_

* * *

The Special Investigations Unit's decision was swift and decisive. Ed Lane was suspended from duty, and it was recommended that he face criminal charges stemming from his role in the deadly hostage taking.

"It would have been one thing if only Petar Tomasic was the sole victim here, Constable Lane," one of the civilian SIU members said, completely devoid of empathy. "But the fact remains that once Mr. Tomasic saw the result of your actions, he escalated and killed his hostage, then killed himself, for all the public to see."

_But I didn't _see_ him! _Ed had protested numerous times. _He wasn't supposed to _be_ there! He shouldn't have been able to breach the perimeter. I didn't mean to kill Petar. I didn't mean to kill him..._

But what he intended and what actually transpired was what SIU had to work with, and an appalled public was calling for accountability. The hostage-taking and its eventual devastating outcome had been broadcast, live, on national television. It had been replayed countless times thereafter, further inciting the rage of every citizen with an interest in the case.

Watchdog groups of all stripes involved with law enforcement, gun control and anti-violence had weighed in on the matter, and one thing became clear: the police had to deal harshly with Constable Lane, or lose public confidence.

And so it was that Ed Lane, former SRU Team One head sniper and team leader, became the whipping boy, disgraced and punished for an act he committed while doing the job he was trained to do.


	3. A Fine Line

**A/N: WARNING - Disturbing topic. Character death.**

**Five Things That Never Happened to Ed Lane**

_**A Fine Line**_

"And who was the last one to see him alive?" Detective Fred Sturgis asked.

Six grieving members of Team One searched each other silently.

"Um, I guess I did," Constable 'Spike' Scarlatti said haltingly. "I was doing some work on Babycakes when he-"

"'_Babycakes_' ?" Sturgis exclaimed.

"Out anti-explosives robot," Spike clarified. "Pet name."

"Oh, okay. Please, continue."

"Like I said, I was working on Babycakes when he passed through. He mentioned pretty casually that he was going to be doing some rappelling."

"Is that normally a solitary exercise?"

"'Normally'?" Spike asked.

"Yeah. Don't you guys do that in pairs, or something, for safety?"

"In pairs, sometimes," Wordy put in, "but it's not like we depend on each other in that sense. Ed could have gone by himself and been perfectly fine."

"Well, obviously he _wasn't_ 'fine'," Det. Sturgis replied, "since the man just fell to his death!"

Sergeant Gregory Parker winced. "Okay, detective, there's no need to take that tone. We're all quite aware of what happened, and frankly, we're all extremely upset. Ed Lane was more than just a member of the team; he was our friend and colleague."

"Fine. Sorry," Sturgis said, though his lack of sincerity was evident. "I'm just trying to get the facts, here. I know it's not easy when it's a fellow cop, but you know I have to ask these questions. Did any of you actually _see_ Constable Lane rappelling?"

Everyone shook their heads.

"Did Constable Lane make it a habit of rappelling by himself?"

A few members of Team One shrugged a shoulder, some shook their heads, and a couple muttered a 'no' and a 'not that I know of' in reply.

Detective Sturgis ran a hand over his face. "Okay. This isn't getting us anywhere. A cursory review of his gear shows that nothing was faulty. No frayed ropes or defective carabiner or harness. The only thing that seems to have gone wrong is that Constable Lane neglected to tie his knots securely."

He scanned their faces. They were masks of anguish; doleful, pale and drawn. It was starting to hit them, now, Sturgis decided. They were starting to come to the awful realisation that Ed Lane had _wanted_ this to happen.

"I can't believe Ed would be so careless..." Jules Callaghan said.

Sam Braddock put a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Let me ask you all this question," Sturgis said, "did Ed Lane appear depressed lately? Did he give any indication that he was unhappy? Stressed...Suicidal?"

At that last word, Greg's eyes flashed with anger, but the emotion died as quickly as it had risen.

There was no other way to see it, Greg concluded sadly. Maybe Ed had wanted his fall to _seem_ like an accident, but everyone knew Ed was always too careful to make a mistake of that magnitude.

_Aw, Eddie_, Greg thought sorrowfully. _Why didn't you talk to someone? Why did you always insist you were 'fine'? _

"Who's gonna tell Soph and Clark?" Wordy asked quietly, thinking now of what an awful burden such news would be. He forcefully pushed back any thoughts of someone having to deliver bad news like that to Shelley and his girls...

Greg looked at Sturgis. "I'm Team Sergeant," he said. "I should tell them."

"Up to you," Sturgis replied, but seemed relieved Greg was willing to take on that role.

Jules was weeping openly now, and Sam hugged her to him.

"God, I can't believe it," Lou said. "Not Ed... what was he _thinking?_ How could he do this to himself?"

"No, how could _he_ do this to _us!_" Sam fumed. "He was our team leader. Now he's gone. And we all know he did it on purpose, so what does that say about us? That he didn't trust us?"

"Sam!" Jules said in alarm, upset by Sam's outburst.

"I understand your anger, Sam," Greg said calmly. "And when you deal with a suicide, answers are never easy. We're going to have to deal with this one day at a time."

Sam didn't respond, and Greg knew his words were empty and hollow. But he didn't know what else to say. He, too, was working through a storehouse of raw emotions that would take a long time to sort through.

He cleared his throat in an attempt to gain control, and everyone's attention.

"Look, we'll never know all the 'whys' of what happened," Greg said, "but we all know Ed didn't often share what he was thinking and feeling. If he was bothered by a case, he kept it to himself. I'm begging you all right now: if you're having trouble – with _anything_ – don't brush it off and fool yourself into thinking you're 'fine'. That was Ed's perennial response. But today, something caused him to cross that line...and if he had any regrets or second thoughts once he reached the top of the climbing tower and jumped, it was too late to turn back."


	4. An Affair to Forget

**A/N: I've made the other speaker in this fic purposely ambiguous. You may draw your own conclusions as to who it is, since I'm not quite sure myself.**

**Five Things That Never Happened to Ed Lane**

**_An Affair to Forget_**

"Ed, we can't do this."

"Why?"

"Number one, you're married..."

"That doesn't matter to me right now."

"Number two, we _work_ together. We can't let our feelings get in the way of our job. What if Greg found out?"

"He won't."

"How do you know?"

"We'll be careful."

"Ed... I can't. I just can't."

"What are you afraid of?"

"Haven't you been listening? It's too risky. If something happened to you..."

"Nothing's going to happen to me."

"You don't know that, Ed. Everyday we go out there, something could happen."

"I never realised you were such a cynic before. You know what? If you don't want to do this, fine."

"Ed..."

"What? Now that I'm agreeing with you, you're mad at me? Make up your mind!"

"I'm not mad at you. I just... I just want you to understand that this isn't easy for me."

"Fine. I get it. You can't handle the idea of a clandestine relationship right now. But you don't know what you're walking away from."

"No, I think I do know what I'm walking away from. Good-bye Ed. Go home."

"Hey, come on..."

"Go _home_, Ed. Go home to your wife and your son. We don't belong together."

"Aw, hell!"


	5. The Unexpected Kindness of Strangers

**Five Things That Never Happened to Ed Lane**

_**The Unexpected Kindness of Strangers**_

It was one of those crisp and cool Fall mornings, where there was a slight nip in the air, and one's breath floated away in wispy vapors.

Ed Lane walked briskly towards his destination, weaving through those pedestrians moving at a more leisurely pace.

He let out a groan of exasperation when he sighted the long line-up stretching out the doors of the Tim Horton's. If he joined the queue now, he calculated it would take at least fifteen minutes before he made it inside to place his order.

Ed considered for a few seconds. There was another place he could go to order coffee that was also within walking distance, but no one on the team really liked that particular place's brew. Sure, they'd drink it if they were really desperate, but not if they could help it.

With a smirk, Ed imagined the trouble he could be in if he flashed his badge and muscled his way in, feigning some emergency. That would be a serious abuse of power, of course, though he knew there were some cops out there who routinely took advantage of their position of authority in such matters.

Sighing in resignation, Ed ambled up to the end of the line to wait his turn. The person just in front of him half-turned, acknowledged his presence with a quick smile and nod of her head, then turned back.

_Let's see... double-doubles for Jules, me and the Sarge, Ice-Cappuccino for Sam and Spike, French Vanilla for Lou, black for Winnie and Wordy..._

Ed repeated over and over in his mind what everyone wanted, making absolutely sure he hadn't forgotten _anything_. He'd be in trouble if he screwed it up somehow. He didn't particularly enjoy doing coffee runs, but he hadn't gone in a while, and was starting to feel that it was only fair that he offer to go this morning.

The line advanced slowly, but surely, and soon enough, Ed was at the counter. The woman ahead of him grabbed her tea and bagel, and sent Ed another shy smile before leaving the line.

Without even bothering to look up at the menus displayed high above all the doughnuts, bagels, and assorted treats, he launched into his order, reciting everything from memory.

The young man behind the cash register whose name tag read 'Toby', punched it all in, and one of his fellow workers came by to lend him a hand with getting everything together.

"Here you go," Toby said, placing the cardboard trays before Ed, slotting the drinks in for him.

"Thanks," Ed said, and started to reach for his wallet.

"Oh, don't worry about it," Toby said, stopping Ed in the process.

Ed raised a questioning eyebrow.

"The lady ahead of you paid for your order."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You and like, the next nine people after you."

"Oh, that was really nice of her," Ed said, happily picking up the trays. "I guess I'll go, then."

"Have a nice day, sir," Toby called after him.

There was a little more of a spring in Ed's step as he walked back towards SRU Headquarters. He wondered if that woman did that sort of thing often – paying the tab for perfect strangers. After all the crap he saw day after day, Ed reflected that it was a welcome change to see the good side of people once in a while.

When he reached Winnie's desk, he passed out her order of a medium black coffee. Jules, Sam, Lou and Spike also gathered around, attracted by the wafting aroma.

Greg and Wordy were still in the locker room, and Ed moved on to deliver their drinks to them, too.

"Thanks, Eddie," Greg said appreciatively, taking his cup from Ed.

"Yeah, thanks, Ed," Wordy said, also accepting his coffee.

Ed dumped the empty trays in the trash receptacle, and opened his locker to start changing into his SRU gear.

In disbelief, he stared at the item sitting on the top shelf: his wallet.


End file.
